Ultra-trail of the knights

For this second edition of the Trail des Chevaliers in Alsace, the start of the race will be given at 8pm in Colmar, heading for the Vosges mountains and the discovery of the fortified castles of Alsace.

On the first part of the route, runners will pass through the tourist towns of Turckheim, Kaysersberg and Ribeauvillé, before resuming their tour of the castles, continuing with those of the city of the minstrels and in particular that of Saint Ulrich, offering an unobstructed view of the city.

Arriving at the Taennchel massif, the highest point on the route, they will rejoin the 100km route and switch to the Bas-Rhin département just before entering the grounds of Haut-Koenigsbourg castle.

Halfway through the race, the landscape will give way to vineyards and Alsatian villages from Châtenois to Barr, where they will take the 50km route before climbing to Mont Sainte-Odile. A final difficulty awaits them at the summit of the Heidenkopf before they plunge down towards Obernai, making knights of themselves as they cross the finish line on the ramparts.

In the Kaysersberg valley, spectators will be able to cheer on the riders between Trois-Epis (from around 10.15pm), Kaysersberg, on the way up to the castle where there will be refreshments, and on the climb between the castle and Saint Alexis (between around 11.10pm and around 3.10am).